Messaging mattered more than ever this holiday season. From SMS growth to triggered campaigns, the brands that targeted the right customer at the right time saw measurable results. Here’s what stood out.

1. SMS Growth Continues

• Revenue Share: 16% (up 10% YOY)
• Conversion Rate: 6.9% (on par with email)
• AOV: $151 (lower than email’s $184)

SMS excelled with urgent, price-sensitive campaigns like Price Drop alerts and holiday reminders.

2. Email Volume Stabilizes, Engagement Grows

• Email Sends: +3.7% YOY (flattened vs. LY)
• CTR: +10.7% YOY

Fewer sends paired with higher engagement suggest that quality over quantity is key. Triggered campaigns (+15% revenue YOY) outperformed broadcast campaigns (-7% YOY), showing that personalization drives results.

3. Campaign Standouts

• Price Drop Alerts: +24% revenue YOY
• Back-in-Stock / Low Inventory Alerts: Strong conversions
• Non-Core Day Campaigns: Extended promotions performed best

So, what did this look like in practice? Below, we’ve highlighted Email and SMS creative from Holiday 2025 that brought these strategies to life.

Examples We Loved

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Signup experiences: Simple, clear value proposition

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Email creative: Product-focused, urgency-driven, extended sale reinforcement

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Recommendations: Price-aware and inventory-sensitive

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SMS messages: Short, urgent, BNPL callouts during peak days

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Wrap Up

Messaging made the difference this holiday, with small tweaks, timely triggers, and price-aware campaigns driving measurable results.

In our final holiday recap post, we’ll shift the focus to what this means for 2026 and how brands can reset, cleanup, and plan for the year ahead.